ROW80,  Writer's life

ROW80 – 2024 – Round 1 – Goals (January, 7th 2024)

7 January 2024 /

Hi everyone and Happy New Year! 

Note: To keep posts short, I’ve made a Trello board with my goals for the year and beyond. Feel free to check it out if you want to know more about the bigger plan.

My word for the week is REFOCUS.

Interestingly enough, that happened during a relaxing break. Since planning helps me relax, I took some time to take a step back and look at my goals (and also why they were too much last year).

So I’ll be less ambitious this time, while leaving room for adding things of course, as new goals have a way of popping up (like the doll house thing ^^).

And because I like being able to look at the bigger picture, I think I’ll try a new format for my monthly goals by having a round’s 3 months next to each other. Since it’s all editable, of course nothing’s set in stone, but I also like the idea I could be getting ahead on some things and report this way. Maybe then getting late on other goals won’t have the same weight. ^^;

So here goes! (Round goals and yearly goals are below for those who also like the bigger picture).

January Goals

Business: aiming at 20%
RNQ: V8 adaptations 0%
Story Time: aiming at 100%
Make a tentative schedule for the year 0%
Japanese Course: aiming at 100%
Genki: L2 75%
Studies: aiming at 50%
Academic Writing 40%
Home: aiming at 100%
Sort and make workshop space 15%
Craft: aiming at 100%
Dining table and chairs 10%

February Goals

Business: aiming at 40%
RNQ: V8 adaptations 0%
Business: aiming at 100%
EDOF: F2F Japanese 0%
Japanese Course: aiming at 100%
Genki: L3 0%
Studies: aiming at 70%
Academic Writing 40%
Home: aiming at 100%
Get ready to sand wooden floor 0%
Craft: To be determined
TBD 0%

March Goals

Business: aiming at 50%
RNQ: V8 adaptations 0%
Business: aiming at 100%
EDOF: Blended Japanese 0%
Japanese Course: aiming at 100%
Genki: L4 0%
Studies: aiming at 80%
Academic Writing 40%
Studies: aiming at 10%
Queer Asia 0%
Home: aiming at 100%
Sand wooden floor 0%
Craft: To be determined
TBD 0%

Round Goals 

I’m keeping some goals here without planning anything specific. The idea is if I can squeeze them in, they’re still on my mind, but I’ll only work on them if and when I have time.
 
Goals that do have descriptions will be my main focus this year. So basically work, home, family and well-being, which are my priorities in life, not necessarily in the same order.
 
Obviously work is important and that’s one area I can’t really put on hold except on breaks, so it’s still here, but with less subgoals.
 
Home is also essential as I love how the house has become more and more comfortable over the years. But now that the urgent stuff is done, it’s even better as I can accept these things take time (and if I never get to finish all the things I have planned, it’s still a really nice home).
Besides renovation, I’m also focusing on anything that makes our lives easier: sorting, decorating, decluttering and so on.
 
Finally, personal goals are the most important to me, especially family and well-being, though my studies are also very dear.
Speaking of which, I feel that it’s OK not to be writing fiction right now because I’m writing academic papers. I’ve never been good at doing both at the same time, so for now, that will have to do. I think I’ll need to figure out how to combine both eventually as I’m doing the BA part-time and can’t see myself not writing that fantasy saga (among other things) at all until 2027 at best (and then there’s the MA!). Hopefully, in a couple of semesters, researching in Japanese will come more naturally to me and won’t be as time-consuming, but right now, it would just be too much. Plus I’m still in the early stages of research, so I have to read lots of primary and secondary sources. Once I’m more ahead, I’m hoping there will naturally be more room for fiction.
 
Other personal goals include spending more quality time with my loved ones and making sure I look after myself too! The general idea is to make life better, little by little. 

Writing

  • CS2 "Harmonies"

Translating

  • Meditation Project

Publishing

  • Meditations

Work

  • Online

    I'll fix issues ASAP and resume sharing content.

  • Quality

    I'll keep up-to-date with my field's evolution and do necessary adjustments.

  • Japanese

    I'll make lessons for Genki na Nihongo, hopefully up to chapter 4.

Home

  • Cleaning

    I'll keep cleaning, organizing and decluttering as preparation for future renovation and improvement. For this round, I'd like everything to be in the right room at least.

  • Barbie House

    Along with the sorting effort, I'll put everything we can use in the new workshop. And since it also has to be fun, we'll start making small pieces of furniture. And I'll take some photos to journal all this.

  • Saving

    I'll try and save for future renovation work.

  • Bathroom

    I will prepare a work area so as to be ready to finish those walls in June. (But maybe that can wait until April or May, so Round 2 ^^)

Personal

  • Studies

    I'll start the Japanese Academic Writing course.

  • Reading

    I'll focus on primary resources for my research and academic articles both for my research and courses.

  • Well-being

    I'll meditate at least once a day and I'll practice mindfulness and gratitude in general. I'll rest when I need to and spend quality time with my loved ones.

Yearly goals

Similarly, I’ll have less goals for the year. The idea is to keep the cells in my spreadsheet open and add things if necessary rather than filling in all the cells and failing at doing so much.

So hopefully I’ll be able to do more, but if I can stick to the ones that are there already and make them green by the end of December, I’ll definitely be happy.

Black cells however are the ones I don’t even intend to attempt.

Finally, I think I’ll keep this section in check-in posts, so as to keep an eye on the bigger picture. ^^

How about you? What is your word for this round and year and why? Let me know in the comments. Take care!

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